Located on the edge of San Francisco's Bernal Heights and Excelsior districts, Giovanni's is a longtime neighborhood favorite that has new owners and a fresh look. The food is homey, as is the atmosphere, and you're likely to see families packing the old-fashioned, round wooden booths. Recent additions to the decor include oversize vintage-style light fixtures and picture-rail molding.
Pasta arrives on huge platters and prices top off at $12.75 for linguine with shrimp and a creamy chipotle sauce that gets hotter with each bite, yet isn't overwhelming. We loved the tortellini with meat sauce ($8.95), with tender pasta bundles in a herb-infused sauce.
Delicate and flaky, the pizza crust is much better than the doughy kind you get at most neighborhood joints, and the prices are relatively low for such fresh-tasting pies, at around $25 for an extra large. The Favorite, with meat, onions, bell peppers and sausage, is a great choice; the crust got a bit soggy in the Nutty Marcella's, which is loaded with pesto, onion chunks, cherry tomatoes and cheese.
The tangy Greek salad ($5.50-$10.50) is a remnant of the previous owners, who were Greek. If you order several pasta dishes, the servers will bring you a generous family-style bowl of the salad rather than individual servings.
3839 Mission St. (at Crescent)
Beer and wine. Credit cards accepted
Family owned restaurant located on the edge of San Francisco's Bernal Heights and Excelsior districts, Giovanni's is a longtime neighborhood favorite that has new owners and a fresh look. The food is homey, as is the atmosphere, and you're likely to see families packing the old-fashioned, round wooden booths. Recent additions to the decor include oversize vintage-style light fixtures and picture-rail molding. Pasta arrives on huge platters and prices top off at $12.75 for linguine with shrimp and a creamy chipotle sauce that gets hotter with each bite, yet isn't overwhelming. We loved the tortellini with meat sauce ($8.95), with tender pasta bundles in a herb-infused sauce. 